If it hasn’t happened to you, it’s likely happened to someone close to you. One moment you or your friend is biting into a piece of food or chewing on candy, the next they’re in pain or concerned as they feel their crown come loose or even break. A broken restoration is not something you want to put off, but it’s not something you should panic over either.
The next time you have a cracked dental crown in Cocoa Beach, here’s what you should do.
How Do Crowns Break?
Crowns can break for a wide variety of reasons, especially if there’s large amounts of force being applied during a short period of time. However, one of the most common ways crowns crack is from improper bite alignment.
Essentially, if your teeth rest in a certain way when your mouth is closed, certain areas of your bite can experience disproportionate amounts of force. This problem is compounded even more if you have issues with teeth clenching or have a poor bite to begin with.
Other ways crowns can crack include:
- Teeth grinding, either while you’re awake or in your sleep
- Regularly biting on hard foods (i.e. ice, hard candy, toffee, etc.)
- Using your mouth as a tool, which you should never do
- Having crowns made from weak materials (ask the dentist what materials they use and if the lab has had issues with breaking crowns before)
Make sure to ask the dentist what may have caused your crown to break so you can avoid it in the future.
What the Next Step Should Be
Unfortunately, broken crowns cannot be fixed. Instead, they need to be replaced entirely. However, broken crowns are not typically a dental emergency, which means you can wait 5 to 7 days to see a dentist in most cases, although this is uncommon. Most people want to get their crown replaced as soon as it breaks to avoid issues with eating or drinking throughout the day.
If your crown cracks and you experience pain or the crown has sharp edges that can cut the inside of your mouth, you need to get to the dentist right away. Before your appointment, you should still practice at-home oral care, just make sure not to irritate the area in the process. If you’re afraid to do this, use mouthwash or a saltwater solution after brushing to kill bacteria.
Even if your cracked crown doesn’t cause pain, it’s not something you should be putting off. Broken crowns only make it easier for bacteria to reach the inner tooth where the vulnerable pulp lies. This dramatically increases your risk of an infection, and infected teeth are always more difficult and more expensive to fix.
Don’t let a cracked crown ruin your day. Schedule an appointment with a dentist today to get your dental crown in Cocoa Beach replaced!
About the Author
Dr. Gary C. Nawrocki’s practice is fully dedicated to cosmetic and reconstructive dentistry. Thanks to his continuing education from the Pankey Institute, the Seattle Institute, and the Spear Educational Institute, he’s able to provide truly excellent care in the field of esthetics and restorative dentistry. To learn more about his practice or get your cracked crown replaced, you can contact him through his website.